Performance Assessment of a Submersible Sensor to Measure in Real-Time Gas and Solid Holdup in a 250m3 Wemco Cell at Los Pelambres Concentrator

摘要

This paper describes the validation of a submersible sensor to measure in real-time gas and solidholdups in the collection zone of a self-aerated 250m3 Wemco cell at Los Pelambres concentrator. Thesensor comprises a gas exclusion cell and a flow sensor technology. The gas exclusion cell is a tubewith its both ends opened and having a gradual contraction in its cross-sectional area resembling aninverted truncated cone. A one-inch single straight titanium tube Coriolis mass meter was installedat the reduced end of gas exclusion cells. When the sensor device is vertically immersed in the aeratedpulp, a continuous descendent flow of pulp without bubbles is induced through the device; themagnitude of the induced flow being proportional to the gas holdup. The prototype was immersedin the collection zone of a 250m3Wemco cell located in the rougher stage of the Cu-Mo circuit at theLos Pelambres concentrator. Gas holdup measurements were compared against those obtained bysampling a fixed volume of aerated pulp using the JK Tech Air Holdup Probe. The sampled pulp alsoserved to determine pulp density by direct calculation of the mass to volume ratio to calculate solidconcentration consequently. Experimental results demonstrate the sensor's capabilities to providereliable, accurate, simultaneous measurements of gas and solid holdups, which could be used forreal-time supervision, control, and optimization applications.